FUNDING FOR "ART WOLFE'S TRAVELS TO THE EDGE" IS PROVIDED BY... CANON.

DEDICATED TO INSPIRING PHOTOGRAPHERS TO PRESERVE AND TO PROTECT THE BEAUTY, DIVERSITY, AND GRANDEUR OF THE NATURAL WORLD.

FROM CAPTURE TO DISPLAY, CANON CAMERAS, HIGH-DEFINITION VIDEO, PRINTERS, AND PROJECTORS HELP TO FUEL THE PASSION AND THE CREATIVITY THAT BRING THIS INCREDIBLE WORLD INTO FOCUS.

AND BY... YOU CHASE AFTER MOMENTS.

THE MOMENT THE LIGHT IS JUST RIGHT.

THE MOMENT YOU SEE IT IN THEIR EYES.

A MOMENT OF TRIUMPH OR OF TRAGEDY.

THE MOMENT A SMILE BREAKS OR WHEN THE RAINS COME.

THE MOMENT YOU IMAGINED IS PASSING RIGHT NOW.

BUT THE MOMENT YOU SEE, WHEN IT ALL COMES TOGETHER, IS A MOMENT YOU'VE CAPTURED FOREVER.

ADDITIONAL FUNDING PROVIDED BY... AT CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL, OUR MISSION IS TO CONSERVE AND PROTECT THE WORLD'S MOST PRECIOUS NATURAL RESOURCES.

BUT EQUALLY, IT IS TO CHAMPION A CAUSE LARGER THAN OURSELVES.

ON THIS ADVENTURE, I'M GOING TO EXPLORE THE MOSAIC OF SURREAL LANDSCAPES AND INCREDIBLE WILDLIFE THAT INHABIT THIS EXEME ENVIRONMENT KNOWN AS THE ALTIPLANO.

I'M IN LA PAZ, BOLIVIA, WHICH, AT 12,000 FEET, IS THE EARTH'S HIGHEST CAPITAL CITY.

COMING FROM SEA LEVEL IN SEATTLE, MY BODY REALLY NEEDS TO ACCLIMATIZE TO THIS ALTITUDE, BECAUSE I'M ON MY WAY TO ONE OF THE HARSHEST, MOST EXTREME ENVIRONMENTS ON EARTH -- THE HIGH PLAINS OF THE ANDES -- THE ALTIPLANO.

THE ALTIPLANO IS ONE OF THE MAJOR ECOSYSTEMS IN THE ANDES.

THE REGION STRETCHES FROM SOUTHERN PERU TO WESTERN BOLIVIA AND FROM NORTHERN CHILE TO NORTHERN ARGENTINA.

I'M EXPLORING THE ALTIPLANO WITH LOCAL BIOLOGIST AND GUIDE DAVID RICALDI.

DAVID, HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE THE ALTIPLANO?

WELL, THE ALTIPLANO IS ONE OF THE MOST SPECTACULAR LANDSCAPES IN THE AMERICAS.

IT'S A MIX OF FINE ECOSYSTEMS -- IT'S PASTURES, GLACIERS, WETLANDS, YOU SEE MOUNTAINS, HILLSIDES OF DIFFERENT COLORS, FLAMINGOES FLYING, PAINTING THE LANDSCAPE IN SUCH A WAY THAT IS VERY IMPRESSIVE.

THOSE THINGS ARE, FOR ME, WHAT'S THE ALTIPLANO.

THAT EMPTINESS, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, IT'S FULL OF LIFE.

THERE'S A BUNCH OF FLAMINGOES IN A SHALLOW POND.

THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF A HILL THAT WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO GET BEHIND.

ONE'S COMING IN RIGHT NOW THAT'S GOT BEAUTIFUL RED WINGS.

AH, LOOK AT THEM ALL FLYING!

I'M LOOKING FOR PATTERNS IN COLOR AND THESE BIRDS ARE JUST ALL COMING IN RIGHT IN FRONT OF US!

NICE!

I THINK THEY DID THAT EXPRESSLY FOR ME.

I AM A LITTLE SELF-CENTERED.

David: THIS IS THE PUNA FLAMINGO, ONE OF THE TWO RAREST SPECIES IN THE PLANET.

THERE ARE SIX.

AND YOU HAVE SEEN ONE TODAY.

THEY REMIND ME A LOT OF MYSELF, BECAUSE I'VE GOT LONG, SKINNY, WHITE LEGS WITH RED KNEES.

LOOK AT THAT!

Art: THE BEAUTY OF THE ALTIPLANO IS EXPRESSED IN ITS BARREN BUT MAJESTIC MOUNTAINS AND TRANQUIL, MINERAL LAKES.

IT'S HERE THAT THE ANDES ARE AT THEIR WIDEST AND EMPTIEST.

THE HIGH PEAKS SEEM TO KEEP WATCH OVER THE LIFE THAT THRIVES IN THIS SPARE ENVIRONMENT.

IT CAN BE AN UNFORGIVING PLACE.

I FIND IT A BEAUTIFUL AND TIMELESS LANDSCAPE.

PERHAPS THE MOST ICONIC VIEWS OF THE ENTIRE ANDEAN ALTIPLANO RISE RIGHT BEHIND ME -- THE TWIN VOLCANOES OF THE PAYACHATA.

I'M POISED AT THE EDGE OF THIS LITTLE POND, HOPING TO GET A PERFECT REFLECTION.

RIGHT NOW, THE SUN IS GOING THROUGH A NUMBER OF LAYERS OF CLOUDS, BUT AS IT GETS REALLY CLOSE TO THE HORIZON, WITHIN THE NEXT 30 MINUTES, THESE MOUNTAINS SHOULD LIGHT UP LIKE A ROMAN CANDLE.

MY LEGS ARE COLD, I'M COLD, MY NOSE IS RUNNING, ALL OF THIS IS GOOD STUFF BECAUSE I'M GOING TO GET THE SHOT... OR SO I HOPE!

THIS IS WHAT I WAS HOPING FOR!

IT'S A REALLY BEAUTIFUL, VERY CLEAN, ELEGANT SHOT.

I'M WALKING THROUGH A VERY SURREAL ENVIRONMENT.

THIS PLACE IS CALLED THE ROCAS DE DALI -- THE ROCKS OF SALVADOR DALI.

IT'S NAMED BECAUSE IT'S VERY SURREAL, WITH THESE COLUMNS OF ROCK THAT ARE BASICALLY PETRIFIED MAGMA.

BUT PHOTOGRAPHING IT IS DIFFICULT, SO I'M GOING TO GO AND FIND A LOCATION WHERE I CAN GET A SHOT AND TRY TO MAKE SENSE OF THIS REALLY BEAUTIFUL LANDSCAPE.

I HAVE FOUND A GREAT PERSPECTIVE TO SHOOT THE ROCKS OF DALI.

THE ANALOGY IS, "IT'S DIFFICULT "TO PHOTOGRAPH A FOREST FROM WITHIN, "BUT IF YOU GET A LITTLE DISTANCE AWAY, IT STARTS TO MAKE SENSE."

AND THIS IS TRUE HERE.

THE ROCKS ARE CASTING A BEAUTIFUL SHADOW AGAINST THE VERY, VERY SMOOTH PLAIN SO THE TEXTURE OF THE ROCK PLAYS NICELY AGAINST THE SMOOTHNESS OF THE PLAIN.

IN ADDITION, AS THE SUN GETS LOWER, THE PLAIN ITSELF REFLECTS THE LIGHT IN A DIFFERENTIAL WAY, GIVING IT ONE MORE NUANCE, ONE MORE ELEMENT FOR MY COMPOSITION.

BY USING A LONG LENS, IN THIS CASE, A 400 MILLIMETER LENS, I'M COMPRESSING THE SCENE, BUT ALSO CREATING A VERY SIMPLISTIC SHOT, WHICH IS PERFECT FOR THE ROCAS DE DALI.

YOU KNOW, HE PAINTED IN A VERY SURREALISTIC BUT MINIMALIST WAY AND FROM THIS VIEWPOINT, IT'S VERY SIMPLE, VERY ELEGANT, AND PERFECT FOR THE SHOT.

DAVID AND I HAVE FOUND THIS GREAT SPOT -- THIS GEYSER BASIN HIGH IN THE ANDES.

ISN'T THIS A BEAUTIFUL PLACE?

WE HAVE TO BE EXTREMELY CAREFUL.

VERY, VERY HOT WATER IS JUST LEACHING OUT.

IT'S A PHOTOGRAPHER'S DREAMSCAPE!

WHENEVER I TRAVEL INTO A NEW ENVIRONMENT, AND THIS IS AN EXTREMELY NEW ENVIRONMENT TO ME, I'M TRYING TO CONVEY A SENSE OF PLACE IN JUST ONE OR TWO OR THREE OR FOUR ICONIC IMAGES.

I'M GETTING A LOT OF LAYERS RIGHT HERE THAT REALLY SHOWS THE COMPLEXITY OF THE LANDSCAPE.

LOOK AT THAT!

ON EITHER SIDE OF US ARE ALL THESE ABSTRACT DESIGNS.

I LOVE THIS PLACE!

I DON'T THINK YOU CAN GET A BAD SHOT HERE.

I FEEL LIKE I'M WALKING THROUGH DANTE'S INFERNO.

THE SIGHTS, THE SMELLS, THE SOUNDS OF ALL OF THIS AREA IS SO OUTER-WORLDLY.

NATURE NEVER FAILS TO AMAZE ME, AND ON THIS LEVEL, IT'S ARTWORK.

I'M AT LAGUNA COLORADA, A BEAUTIFUL LAKE SURROUNDED BY MOUNTAINS.

DAVID, WHAT MAKES THIS LAKE RED?

WELL, YOU KNOW THAT THERE ARE SOME MICROSCOPIC PLANTS THAT THE FLAMINGOS ARE EATING?

LITTLE PLANTS THAT ARE THAT COLOR AND THEY ARE PAINTING THIS LAKE RED.

THOSE ARE THE ANDEAN FLAMINGOS -- ONE OF THE RAREST FLAMINGOS IN THE ANDES.

THE ANDEAN FLAMINGOS, THERE'S CHILEAN FLAMINGOS, RIGHT?

YES.

AND THE PUNA.

EXACTLY.

THREE FLAMINGOS HIGH IN THE ANDES.

THERE'S ONLY SIX TYPES OF FLAMINGOS WORLDWIDE.

YES.

THREE OF THEM ARE HERE.

Art: ARE THEY LITERALLY STRAINING THE MUD AND GETTING THESE MICROORGANISMS?

THEY ARE FILTERING, THAT'S WHY THEY HAVE THAT BILL ALWAYS UPWARDS..

IT'S BEAUTIFUL BEHAVIOR.

THEY'RE SO DESIGN-Y, YOU KNOW?

THEY JUST ARE PINK AND BLACK AND YELLOW.

THEY'VE GOT SUCH GRACEFUL LINES.

WHAT IS THIS ANIMAL WALKING BEHIND US?

AND UPSTAGING US?

THAT'S A LLAMA.

Art: IT'S A BEAUTIFUL LLAMA.

I'M GETTING A NICE FLOCK OF BIRDS JUST FLYING RIGHT IN.

IT'S SO EASY TO PHOTOGRAPH THESE BIRDS LANDING BECAUSE THEY SLOW UP!

TO CATCH THE WIND AND THEY GENTLY LAND RIGHT IN FRONT OF MY CAMERA.

I'M JUST FILLING THE FRAME WITH NOTHING BUT PINK BODIES, YELLOW LEGS, ORANGE BEAKS -- WOW, THEY'RE SO... GREAT!

WHAT A GREAT SITUATION THIS IS!

IS THERE ANYTHING THREATENING THESE BIRDS OR EVEN THIS ENVIRONMENT RIGHT NOW?

THERE ARE TWO MAIN THREATS IN ANY WETLAND IN THE ANDES.

ONE, MINE OPERATIONS, ESPECIALLY LARGE SCALE OPERATIONS -- REMOVING SOILS, SHALLOW WATERS, POLLUTING WATERS AND DESTROYING FRAGILE ECOSYSTEMS LIKE THIS.

THE SECOND IS POOR WATER MANAGEMENT SCHEMES THAT ARE DRAINING WATER TO FEED AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT IN BOLIVIA, IN PERU, IN ARGENTINA, AND IN CHILE.

WE NEED TO EDUCATE PEOPLE THAT -- I THINK THAT THERE IS STILL PEOPLE THAT NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT THESE ARE THE FINEST ECOSYSTEMS IN THIS PART OF THE PLANET AND WE NEED TO SAVE THEM AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

WE ARE AGAINST TIME.

David: MANY MILLION YEARS AGO, THIS PART OF THE ALTIPLANO WAS COVERED BY A HUGE LAKE THAT WAS 480 MILES LONG AND 240 MILES WIDE.

WOW, THAT'S HUGE!

AND, IN TIME, THAT LAKE EVAPORATED, DISAPPEARED, LEAVING ONLY MAJOR WETLANDS AND THIS SALT FLAT.

MINERALS LEACH, SLOWLY FILL THIS FLAT LANDSCAPE, CREATING A MASSIVE DEPOSIT OF SALT.

NOW WE ARE STEPPING ON A SALT DEPOSIT WHICH, IN SOME PLACES, COULD BE 100 FEET DEEP.

100 FEET DEEP OF SALT?

ISN'T IT AMAZING?

YEAH!

WELL, HEY, LET'S GO CHECK IT OUT.

I WANT TO GO TAKE SOME PICTURES!

Art: WE'RE ON OUR WAY TO ISLE PESCADA.

THIS IS AN ISLAND THAT'S ISOLATED BY AT LEAST 50 MILES OF OPEN SALAR ON ALL SIDES.

IT'S A VERY STRANGE ISLAND, IT'S A MICROCLIMATE.

VERY UNIQUE PLANTS -- IT'S AN OASIS.

BEAUTIFUL!

WHAT AN ENVIRONMENT!

I THINK WE CALL THESE THINGS CANDELABRA CACTUS.

I'VE HEARD THAT THEY'RE 900 YEARS OLD!

WATCH OUT, THE BABY CACTUS!

THOSE WILL GO RIGHT THROUGH YOUR BOOTS.

IT'S LIKE A PLAYLAND IF YOU'RE A PHOTOGRAPHER.

WITH THESE CANDELABRA CACTUS BEING BACKLIT BY THE SUN, I'M GOING TO TRY TO FIND A PLACE WHERE I CAN ACTUALLY MAKE SENSE OF IT AND RENDER THESE CACTUS IN A VERY ABSTRACT WAY.

AND I THINK I'VE JUST FOUND IT.

LOOK AT THIS, DAVID.

OH, WOW!

THIS IS REALLY COOL.

I'M GOING TO POSITION MY CAMERA SO I GET A LITTLE BIT OF THE SUNBURST COMING THROUGH CACTUS.

BUT IT SHOULD BE VERY, VERY NICE.

BUT I'VE GOT TO ACT FAST BECAUSE THE SUN IS GOING DOWN.

WHAT I'M TRYING TO DO IS JUST GET THIS LENS RIGHT WHERE THE SUN IS COMING OUT I'M USING EXTREME LIGHT -- IN OTHER WORDS, I'M FACING THE LENS IN THE CAMERA DIRECTLY INTO THIS BRIGHT SUN.

BUT I'M TRYING TO PUT THE CACTUS IN BETWEEN SO I SHIELD MY LENS FROM GETTING A LENS FLARE, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I'M REALLY HIGHLIGHTING EVERY SPINE ON THIS CACTUS SO EACH CACTUS HAS THIS RIM LIGHT THAT IS EXTRAORDINARILY BEAUTIFUL.

I'M RENDERING THESE CACTUS INTO SOMETHING MORE ABSTRACT.

I'M NOT TRYING TO ILLUSTRATE A BOTANY BOOK, I'M TRYING TO CREATE ARTWORK WITH THIS TYPE OF SUBJECT.

ONE OF MY FAVORITE SUBJECTS TO SHOOT ARE STAR TRAILS.

AND OUT HERE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SALAR, ON THIS ISLAND FULL OF CACTUS, I'VE GOT PERFECT SUBJECTS, BECAUSE IT'S A VERY CLEAR NIGHT.

SO I'VE FRAMED THIS CACTUS VERY LOW SO THAT THE STAR TRAILS THAT I'M GOING TO CAPTURE WITH LONG EXPOSURE -- EIGHT HOURS -- WILL COME OUT FROM UNDER THE ARMS OF THE CACTUS.

BUT THE LAST THING I WANT TO DO IS TO TURN ON MY HEADLAMP AND REALLY PAINT WITH LIGHT -- IF I PAINT THIS CACTUS, IT WILL CREATE A BALANCE BETWEEN THIS AND THE STARS THAT WILL BE ILLUMINATED BY THE EIGHT-HOUR EXPOSURE.

WOW, THIS IS GREAT!

I'M OUT ON THE SALAR, RIGHT AT DAWN.

I'M PHOTOGRAPHING THESE REALLY INTERESTING LINES.

HOW DO THESE THINGS FORM?

WELL, THE ASSEMBLAGE OF CRYSTALS WHEN THEY ARE DRYING WILL CREATE THIS BEAUTIFUL MOSAIC.

THE CRYSTALS ARE PUSHING AND EVERY BLOCK WILL BE PUSHING MORE AND THAT'S WHY YOU HAVE THOSE PROTUBERANCES HERE.

AND THAT'S NATURE.

I'M USING THESE LINES TO LEAD YOUR EYE RIGHT INTO THE DEPTH OF THIS COMPOSITION.

AND IT'S REALLY STUNNING.

WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT ARE PILES OF SALT THAT HAVE BEEN SCRAPED UP BY LOCAL VILLAGERS.

THEY'VE LITERALLY PILED THESE SALT CRYSTALS INTO ROUNDED MOUNDS AND AS THE WIND BLOWS AND DRIES THE SALT CRYSTALS, THEY FORM THESE PERFECT PYRAMIDS, WHICH IS A GREAT SUBJECT FOR MY CAMERA.

I LOVE WORKING IN THE MARGINS OF LIGHT LIKE THIS -- POST-SUNSET OR PRE-SUNRISE, IT'S WHEN THE SHADOWS ARE GONE, I'VE GOT DEEP COLORS, I'M USING A TRIPOD TO STABILIZE -- AND FREQUENTLY MY EXPOSURES ARE ONE MINUTE TO 30 SECONDS, BUT THE PAY-OFFS ARE SO GREAT BECAUSE THE COLORS ARE DEEP AND THE ABSTRACT NATURE OF THESE LANDSCAPES ARE REALLY PROFOUND.

THIS IS SO COOL!

NORMALLY IN A COMPOSITION, YOU DON'T WANT TO PUT A HORIZON DOWN THE MIDDLE, BUT IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, I'M TRYING TO CREATE AN ABSTRACT, SURREAL ENVIRONMENT.

SO I'VE GOT THE HORIZON RIGHT DOWN THE MIDDLE, CLOUDS ARE REFLECTED, IT'S REALLY A SPACIAL TYPE OF SHOT.

I'VE TRAVELED ALL AROUND THE WORLD AND I'VE VISITED SOME PRETTY AMAZING PLACES, BUT I HAVE TO TELL YOU, NOTHING COMPARES TO THIS LANDSCAPE!

IT'S ALMOST A MOONSCAPE -- IT'S SO SURREAL!

IT'S LIKE THE SKY AND THE LAND MEET IN A SEAMLESS BORDER.

THIS PLACE MAKES BOLIVIA UNIQUE BECAUSE NO OTHER NATIONS HAVE SOMETHING LIKE THIS.

YOU KNOW, OTHER NATIONS HAVE RAINFORESTS, CLOUD FORESTS, ANDEAN LANDSCAPE, BUT THIS IS SPECIAL.

THIS IS UNIQUE TO BOLIVIA.

YES.

WELL I SURE LOVE IT AND I'M SO HAPPY I CAME DOWN HERE.

THIS PROGRAM AND OTHER EPISODES FROM THIS SEASON ARE AVAILABLE ON THREE-EPISODE DISCS FOR $17.95 EACH, PLUS SHIPPING AND HANDLING.

AN AWARD-WINNING BOOK OF ART WOLFE'S LANDSCAPES FEATURED IN THIS SERIES AND BEYOND, "EDGE OF THE EARTH, CORNER OF THE SKY," IS AVAILABLE FOR $49.95 PLUS SHIPPING AND HANDLING.

TO ORDER THE BOOK OR DVDs, PLEASE CALL 1-800-440-2651.

YOU CAN FIND OUT MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS EPISODE, PHOTO TIPS, AND OTHER DESTINATIONS IN THE SERIES, BY VISITING OUR WEB SITE AT -- FUNDING FOR "ART WOLFE'S TRAVELS TO THE EDGE" IS PROVIDED BY... YOU CHASE AFTER MOMENTS.

THE MOMENT THE LIGHT IS JUST RIGHT.

THE MOMENT YOU SEE IT IN THEIR EYES.

A MOMENT OF TRIUMPH OR OF TRAGEDY.

THE MOMENT A SMILE BREAKS OR WHEN THE RAINS COME.

THE MOMENT YOU IMAGINED IS PASSING RIGHT NOW.

BUT THE MOMENT YOU SEE, WHEN IT ALL COMES TOGETHER, IS A MOMENT YOU'VE CAPTURED FOREVER.

AND BY... CANON.

DEDICATED TO INSPIRING PHOTOGRAPHERS TO PRESERVE AND TO PROTECT THE BEAUTY, DIVERSITY, AND GRANDEUR OF THE NATURAL WORLD.

FROM CAPTURE TO DISPLAY, CANON CAMERAS, HIGH-DEFINITION VIDEO, PRINTERS, AND PROJECTORS HELP TO FUEL THE PASSION AND THE CREATIVITY THAT BRING THIS INCREDIBLE WORLD INTO FOCUS.

ADDITIONAL FUNDING PROVIDED BY... AT CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL, OUR MISSION IS TO CONSERVE AND PROTECT THE WORLD'S MOST PRECIOUS NATURAL RESOURCES.

BUT EQUALLY, IT IS TO CHAMPION A CAUSE LARGER THAN OURSELVES.